Jamie Nye: Time is what could save negotiations with Durant

The best thing for Roughrider fans anxious about Darian Durant’s contract status is time.

There is lots of time between now and February when Durant officially becomes a free agent.

I know the more this drags out the more anxious you’ll be and you may not like how long this could drag out.

But there is a lot of things where time works in the favour of these negotiations.

First, the closer to the free agent deadline and the potential of losing Darian Durant will only make the Riders more willing to budge and get closer to Durant.

Second, Darian Durant desperately wants to stay in Saskatchewan and end his career where it all started. So the closer to the reality for Durant of having to wear a different jersey and not open that new stadium, the closer he is to negotiate the potential for even less.

With three months to go, it’s easy to hit a stalemate right now. Both sides feel they have the upper hand in negotiations. Durant feels he’s the team’s only viable option. The team feels they have loads of time to get their ducks in a row to possibly find the next guy.

Over time, both sides will lose some of their bargaining power. Negotiations will liven up. And a deal will get done. Although I’m less certain of that being the actual conclusion than I was last week.